Integrated manufacturing system

Claim 1

An integrated manufacturing system for managing the distribution to a factory floor as well as throughout a factory of the information that is necessary to effectuate the production of products on the factory floor comprising: a. product information entry means operative for generating from a specification furnished by a customer regarding products to be manufactured information required for purposes of effectuating the manufacture of products on the factory floor, said information generated by said product information entry means including information of a design/drawing nature, information of a process planning nature, information of a bill of materials nature and information of an estimated cost nature; b. configuration management means connected in operative relation to said product information means said configuration management means being a central repository for all of the shared information required for purposes of effectuating the manufacture of products on the factory floor, said shared information for which said configuration management means is a central repository including information of an engineering/manufacturing control change nature, information of an overall facility information control nature and information of a product description nature; c. manufacturing resource planning means connected in operative relation to said configuration management means and therethrough to said product information entry means, said manufacturing resource planning means being the source of information of a scheduling nature required for purposes of effectuating the manufacture of products on the factory floor, said information for which said manufacturing resource planning means is a source including information of a purchase order/work order nature and information of an inventory control nature; and d. factory floor means connected in operative relation to said manufacturing resource planning means and therethrough to both said configuration management means and said product information entry means, said factory floor means being the source of information relating to the operations that take place on the factory floor during the course of effectuating thereat the manufacture of products, said information for which said factory floor means is a source including information of a work center load nature, information of a manufacturing method nature, information of a data collection nature, information of a direct numerical control nature and information of a tooling/fixturing status nature.